iMac - Scratches on the INSIDE of the screen?

I purchased a 24" iMac from the Apple Store a little over a month ago, and have been generally delighted with it. When I first powered it up, I got the infamous condensation on the bottom right of the display, but this cleared up after a couple of days and I thought nothing more of it.

However, a more significant problem has started to develop. Recently I have noticed some marks on the top of my display, which I thought were perhaps just smudges or streaks from wiping it. I had a go at wiping these off tonight, and much to my horror, I discovered that they were on the INSIDE of the display! Having never had the unit open in any way, I am shocked as to how these have been there, and wonder how they have developed.

This photo makes them look much more obvious than they are, but gives a good indication of their size, layout etc.

Has anyone seen anything like this before? I'm obviously going to contact Apple to get the iMac replaced but I have a couple of concerns. Firstly, the unit is in use daily and I can't go without it for 30 days or so while it is sent off and repaired. Will the Apple Store replace it on the spot? If so, what happens to my data etc? Should I get everything off it and prepare a clean install before returning it? Secondly, I have upgraded the RAM to 4Gb from the 1Gb that was in it at purchase. I've since sold the original sticks, so don't have anything to reinstate should I remove the 4Gb that I fitted. What do I do with this as it is off being repaired?

Any advice appreciated. I'm gutted, as I've been raving to all my mates as to how great the iMac is and now this just looks shoddy. Given that my other experience of Apple (I'm a recent switcher) has been a MacBook with the palm-rest cracking issue I'm not overly impressed with their build quality or quality control.

Repairs only take a few days. It certainly won't be a month!!
I would assume, having never sent a Mac for repair, seeing it isn't a hardware issue, all your data would be safe. (Odd that I only buy refurbished and have never had a complaint. Only when I've bought an iPhone new have I had to have it replaced.)
Just seems weird in my opinion that scratches would just show up a month after use. Not that I accuse you of anything, just an odd occurrence.

thanks for the accusatory tone - that bodes well for me taking it back to Apple!

I'm not 100% certain that they are indeed scratches. It does look like the kind of streaks you get from wiping your screen with a cloth doesn't remove the streaks, or letting cleaning fluid dry in without wiping it off properly.

I can't say for certain that they haven't been there all along. They're only really noticeable against a white background and have only really come to my attention recently. The photo does make them look a lot worse than they are, as I adjusted the contast slightly so that they could be viewed online.

I take it from the 40 or so views and only one reply that nobody else has come across this before, which was all I was trying to establish before contacting Apple. Guess I'll just need to see what they say.

FINALLY! Someone in the world who has the exact same problem as me!
You are not alone, friend - your description is word-for-word the same as my experience - great machine, now spoiled by this irritation. What's weird is the "scratches" appear to be parallel in many cases. I hear the glass front panel is held on with magnets, and if you get 2 large suction cups it can be pulled right off - I'm thinking of trying that to see if the blemishes are actually on the glass or on the LCD panel itself. What I really hope is that these are not some kind of stress fractures from poorly tempered glass, and that the inside surface can just be cleaned.
Here's hoping - I'll post again if I have any success!

Is there a possibility that both of you "cleaned" the screen and this scratching is cleaner fluids that have leaked in behind the screen? I have not got any marks but I do have a lot of smudges on the glass.

Hi there,
First I have apologize for my bad English
I just registered on this forum because I also had problems with my new iMac. Had problems!

First I had it with my iMac, then when a friend also bought an iMac with the same problem straight out of the box.
Some people have reported permanent marker stains on the inside (near the edge)

The good news: There is nothing wring with your Macs. And the problem you have now, can be fixed in five minutes.

The bad news: You have to take the glass of! Why? Because all the smudges, discoloring and condensation are on the inside of the glass.

Solution: I bought four vacuum kitchen-towel hooks at the supermarket (suction cup?), and put them on all four corners. The screen is only held by magnets so it comes of real easy. And then you will see what I am talking about. There is a greasy film over the glass and sometimes the permanent marker handwriting that is on the edge is also on the glass. My guess is that some screens were not properly cleaned.
So all you have to do is clean it with a mild glass cleaner, let it dry, and pop it back in.

Disclaimer: It is a thin glass plate, so be careful. Only do this if you are confident that you can do this, and you don't want the hassle of going back to the Apple Store. Also there could be warranty issues (I askes here, and they said there were none, but....)

I hope this helps, maybe not now, but in the future (when your warranty runs out).

Hi there,
First I have apologize for my bad English
I just registered on this forum because I also had problems with my new iMac. Had problems!

First I had it with my iMac, then when a friend also bought an iMac with the same problem straight out of the box.
Some people have reported permanent marker stains on the inside (near the edge)

The good news: There is nothing wring with your Macs. And the problem you have now, can be fixed in five minutes.

The bad news: You have to take the glass of! Why? Because all the smudges, discoloring and condensation are on the inside of the glass.

Solution: I bought four vacuum kitchen-towel hooks at the supermarket (suction cup?), and put them on all four corners. The screen is only held by magnets so it comes of real easy. And then you will see what I am talking about. There is a greasy film over the glass and sometimes the permanent marker handwriting that is on the edge is also on the glass. My guess is that some screens were not properly cleaned.
So all you have to do is clean it with a mild glass cleaner, let it dry, and pop it back in.

Disclaimer: It is a thin glass plate, so be careful. Only do this if you are confident that you can do this, and you don't want the hassle of going back to the Apple Store. Also there could be warranty issues (I askes here, and they said there were none, but....)

I hope this helps, maybe not now, but in the future (when your warranty runs out).

He could have been bluffing, but I recall a post from some Apple employee (not sure where I saw it) stating that Apple had a way to determine if the customer had removed the glass. You might want to think twice before removing the glass yourself, if this will result in putting your warranty in danger.

Perhaps the Apple Store could arrange to quickly clean the glass and send you on your way; wouldn't hurt to call and ask.

hey Fruvos i am having the exact same problem as you, and so is a friend of mine! i dont know what these things are, but they arent anything that can be cleaned with anything im using!! i even used cif wipes on the inside of my screen!! i took my screen off like robert showed (thanks!) and scrubbed at my screen where the smudges were, but nothing happened, i also tired resetting my PRAM and giving a pixel massage! .... both things were unsuccessful.

unluckily for me, my warranty has expired.... i was wondering if anyone knew what they were? or if there is a way to get rid of them! i dont care how complex the solution is ill do it!! haha if there is one!!

what happened to you Fruvos? did apple say what caused it or anything?
or did they fix yours?

anyone got any ideas!?
is there any chance this could be some sort of side affect from some software!?

I have same issue. 24" iMAC purchased a year ago last week. I called AppleCare to ask how to clean the screen. I got really worried when she told me to tur the compter off and sent me over to the safety department. He had me feel the screen and I noticed that where this film was it was hot. The rest of the computer is cool to touch. Now I have to take it in tomorrow for repair and review. The scary thing is that he told me to step away from the computer and unplug it. Do not go near it until after an hor since screenis thin glass and we do not know the pressure built up behind t could cause t to shatter. Whatever! I'll follow up with what the outcome is. I'm just glad I got 2 more years on AppleCare since traditionally computers only last 3 years. Also to those who noted it is the user fault for not knowing how to clean it, you are wrong. I only dust the screen. Also to those who do clean it, no alcohol or ammonia on it. Use jell base like the LCD plasma cleaner at best buy or apple. Will keep ya posted on my outcome.

Well it is a week later.Turns out that the smoky film behind the screen was POWER SUPPLY FAILURE, which I had replaced. Now, I am waiting for a new LCD screen to arrive since that film got within the LCD and cannot be cleaned.